ABOUT RWANDA-All about Rwanda
Rwanda is located in the Great Lakes region of Central Africa, bordered by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, and Burundi.
It’s a land locked country with a size of 26,338 square kilometers, slightly smaller than Maryland. It has a population of about 10 million (33,000 indigenous, 0.4 percent of the population)
The indigenous Community includes the Batwa who are hunter-gatherer Pygmies and have lived in Rwanda and other countries surrounding the Great Lakes Region since AD 1000. Prior to their eviction in the 1990s, the Batwa people lived in the forested region that currently comprises the national parks of Mgahinga, Bwindi, and Echuya. The men hunted and collected food from the forest, while the women harvested fruits and vegetables in their villages. Pottery production is a valuable cultural and economic asset for the Batwa, though largely out of necessity in the wake of environmental destruction challenging their traditional life ways. Today, most Batwa People make their living as tenant farmers.

GEOGRAPHY:
Rwanda is situated on the eastern rim of the Albertine Rift, a western arm of the Great Rift Valley, on the watershed between Africa's two largest river systems: the Nile and the Congo. Much of the country's 26,338 km2 is impressively mountainous, the highest peak being Karisimbi (4,507m) in the volcanic Virunga chain protected by the Volcanoes National Park. The largest body of water is Lake Kivu, but there are other numerous lakes around the country, notably Burera, Ruhondo, Muhazi and Mugesera, some of which have erratic shapes following the contours of the steep mountains that enclose them.

ECONOMY:
Primarily a subsistence agriculture economy, Rwanda nonetheless produces for export some of the finest tea and coffee in the world. Other industries include sugar, fishing and flowers for export.

GETTING THERE:
All international flights arrive at Kigali International Airport, just 10 Km from central Kigali. International flights arriving in Kigali are with SN Brussels, Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Air Burundi and Rwandair Express.
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PASSPORT AND VISAS:
A valid passport with visa is mandatory. In view of the bilateral agreements, nationals of the following countries may visit Rwanda without visa for a period up to 90 days: USA, UK, Germany, Canada, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sweden, Mauritius, South Africa and Hong Kong. Visas can be applied for online or bought upon arrival.

MONEY:
The unit of currency is the Rwanda franc. The US dollar is the hard currency of preference. It may be impossible to exchange travellers' cheques away from the capital. Credit cards are usually only accepted at the major hotels in Kigali.

LANGUAGE:
In addition to the indigenous language of Kinyarwanda, French and English are official languages. French is widely spoken throughout the country. In the capital and other tourist centres, many people speak English.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS:
Good Friday and Easter Monday, which fall on variable dates, are recognized in Rwanda. Other public holidays are:

• 1 January (New Year's Day);
• 1 February (National Heroes Day);
• 7 April (Genocide Memorial Day);
• 1 May (Labour Day);
• 1 July (Independence Day);
• 4 July (National Liberation Day);
• 15 August (Assumption Day);
• 1 October (Patriotism Day);
• 25 December (Christmas Day), and
• 26 December (Boxing Day).

WHEN TO VISIT:
Rwanda can be visited throughout the year. Gorilla trekking and other forest walks are less demanding during the drier months. The European winter is the best time for birds, as Palaearctic migrants supplement resident species.

COMMUNICATIONS:
Rwanda has an excellent cell phone network covering almost the entire country.
International phone calls can be made easily. Appropriate SIM cards for the network are readily available everywhere, even in remote towns, and cell phones can be purchased or rented from major shops in Kigali. Most towns of any size will have several Internet cafes and computer centres.

GETTING AROUND:
Rwanda has possibly the best roads in East Africa. Most visitors who have booked through a tour company will be provided with good private vehicles, usually 4-wheel drive. All of the major centres are connected with local and luxury bus services. Air charter services are available anywhere in the country.

SAFETY AND HEALTH
A certificate of yellow-fever vaccination is required.

SEASONS AND CLIMATE
A combination of tropical location and high altitude ensures that most of Rwanda has a temperate year-round climate. Temperatures rarely stray above 30 degrees Celsius by day or below 15 degrees Celsius at night throughout the year. The exceptions are the chilly upper slopes of the Virunga Mountains, and the hot low-lying Tanzania border area protected in Akagera National Park. Throughout the country, seasonal variations in temperature are relatively insignificant. Most parts of the country receive in excess of 1,000mm of precipitation annually, with the driest months being July to September and the wettest February to May.

Jewel safaris Rwanda offers  all-inclusive fly-in or self-drive holidays from Kigali or Kampala in Uganda to any of the game lodges in the greater Uganda/Rwanda region for any size group, as well as trips to Parc de volcanoes for Gorilla tacking, Nyungwe Forest for Chimpanzee tracking, Akagera for wildlife viewing, Lake Kivu for wonderful sight seeing and other top travel destinations around East Africa. Whatever your dream safari - we can make it come true!

Our Safari Offers
We have several offers for discerning travelers who would like to spend their holiday in Rwanda. These include gorilla safaris, bird watching tours, wildlife safaris, chimpanzee tracking adventures as well as cultural tours. All our Rwanda Safari Packages are all-inclusive and are available for both budget and luxury adventure seekers.

GORILLA TREKKING SAFARIS - Rwanda is a famous destination for mountain gorilla tracking in Africa. Together with Uganda and Congo, the country protects the remaining few 720 mountain gorillas that thrive in the world. Gorilla Tracking is carried out in five gorilla groups within Parc Nationale des Volcans.

RWANDA BIRD WATCHING SAFARIS - Rwanda boasts of about 650 bird species 44 of which can only be found in Rwanda. These include many of the sought-after Albertine Rift Endemic ('ARE's) and some of West Africa's forest specials including the Shoe Bill, the Purple-bleasted Sunbird, the Rwenzori Turaco, the Red-faced Barbet, the Little Bee Eater, the Rockefeller’s Sunbird, Collared Apalis, and Fraser’s Eagle Owl etc. Akagera, Volcanoes and Nyungwe.

RWANDA WILDLIFE SAFARIS - Rwanda boasts a wide variety of wildlife. The Volcanoes National Park, in northern Rwanda is home to the world’s largest number of endangered mountain gorillas. The Akagera National Park in eastern Rwanda is crowded with wildlife both large and small animals including herds of elephant and buffaloes, Giraffes and zebras milling in the savannah, more than a dozen species of antelope which include the chestnut-coated impala, the diminutive oribi, the ungainly tsessebe, the secretive bushbuck, the statuesque Cape eland etc.

RWANDA CULTURAL TOURS - Rwanda is developing as one of the best destinations for those interested in cultural tourism. The Ikwita Izina Yearly Ceremony where gorillas are named attracts thousands of people is one of the best events to learn about Africa, Culture, Its people as well norms and traditions.